Magazine-firearm.



No. 802,117. -PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905.

C. H. A. F. L. ROSS.

MAGAZINE PIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 5. 1'901.

UNianD sfrafrns ra'rnna entren.

CHARLES HENRY AUGUSTUS FREDERICK LOCKHART ROSS, OF BALNA- GOWAN CASTLE,COUNTY OF ROSS, SCOTLAND.

MAGAZINE-FIREARIVI.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application flied December 5, 1901. Serial No. 841742' To LZZ whom Lz,frz/ty concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HENRY AU- GUsTUs FREDERICK LooKHART Ross,baronet, a citizen of Great Britain, and a resident of BalnagowanCastle, county of Ross, Scotland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Magazine-Firearms. of which the following is aspecification.

This invention is an improved cartridge lifting or feeding device formagazine-firearms, the object being to provide a simple and effectivedevice for supporting' and elevating cartridges in the most advantageousmanner for transferring' them one by one from the magazine to theBring-chamber of the firearm.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side view in sect-ion, taken through thelongitudinal center of the relevant features of a firearm and itsmagazine, showing the carrier in its lowest position supporting a seriesof cartridges. Fig. 2 is a rear view in cross-section, taken on the line2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a rear view in section, taken substantiallyalong the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of theright-hand side of the iirearm, showing the projecting handpieee and anindex arrang'ement in connection therewith. Fig. 5 is a side view of afragmentary portion of a gun, showing a finger or thumb lever foroperating the cartridge-carrier. Fig. 6 is an end view in cross-section,taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side viewshowing the connection between the thumb-lever and the arm of thecarrier.

The cartridge-carrier 5 is here shown to be adapted for supporting adouble file of carridges c in zigzag relation, as is best shown in Fig8, the uppermost cartridge projecting into the path of movement of thebolt 6 when the latter is drawn back, so that the bolt will carry thatcartridge forward to the firingchamber of the gun. The carrier isextended forward and is pivotally supported in any convenient way at 7,which is approximately at the point or plane of convergence of theforwardlyprojected center lines 9 of the cartridges c as they rest oneupon the other in packet form in the magazine. The pivot-pin 7 may besupported at its ends in the stock of the gun or it may be supported ina small bracket or block dovetailed or otherwise secured to the Linderside of the barrel.

A spring 8, of any approved construction, is preferably employed forelevating the cartridge-carrier with a yielding pressure, and thatspring may be applied at any convenient portion of the length of theelevator, according to the type of gun or the pressure and amplitude ofmovement required.

As a means for enabling my improved carrier to be operated or controlledby the operator at all times,l preferably provide the handpiece 10,(shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4,) which is either attached to or integralwith the carrier and which extends therefrom at a point convenientlywithin the reach of the operator and preferably upon the right-hand sideof the gun at that portion thereof which would most naturally be held orsupported by the left hand of the operator during the firing andcharging operations, so that the operator may during either of theseoperations manipulate the carrier positively in both directions ifnecessary with one or more of the otherwise unoccupied fingers of hisleft hand. The projecting portion of the handpiece is preferably madewith a downwardly-turned lip 11, which iits against the outer side ofthe stock, and may be made long enough to cover the slot through whichthe handpiece projects at all positions thereof.

Some convenient projecting visible portion of the carrier maybe-utilized as a cartridgeindex for indicating the number of cartridgescontained in the magazine at any time. This may be accomplished, asshown in Fig. 4, by a graduated plate 13 at the side in connection withthe lower edge 14 of the lip 11, or the graduations may be placed on thehandpiece itself and the index-mark be on a stationary plate or on thestock. By practice also the operator may become sufliciently expert todetermine the number of cartridges in the magazine by the sense of touchalone, according to the position occupied by the handpiece.

In some cases or by some military authorities it may be considereddesirable to operate the carrier by means of a thumb-lever, as shown inFigs. 5 and 6. This thumb-lever is preferably an integral piece,comprising' the thumb-lever 18, the shaft 19, and the toe 20, mounted inthe bracket 21, secured to the under side of the stock 22 of the gun.The toe 2O is located in engaging' relation to a depending arm 23 of theelevating carrier 24. The thumb-lever stands in a convenient position tobe reached by the thumb or a nger of the operators left hand and may beplaced upon either side of the g'un. This toe Works the IOO carrieragainst the pressure of its spring, which may be employed as shown inFig. l.

In charging the magazines which employ my improved carrier thecartridges may be inserted either from a clip or directly by the hand ofthe operator, the pressure imparted through the cartridges carrying thecarrier to its lowermost position, or the operator may by means of thehandpiece l0 of Fig. 2 or by means ofthe thumb-lever 18 in Figs. 5 and 6depress the carrier to its lowest position with one hand, while chargingthe maga- Zine with the other hand. It is preferable thus to depress thecarrier in most cases, since the cartridges will then readily fall totheir proper position. It' at any time either during the charging orfiring operations the cartridges should become displaced or jammed inthe magazine either from accident or inadvertence from the presence oi'dirt or from the use of defective ammunition, the jam may be instantlyreleased by pressing the carrier downwardly away from the lowermostcartridge, thereby permitting it and the cartridges above it to dropdown, and thus freeing them from their jammed relation fithout openingthe gun or seriously interrupting the operation thereof or even changingthe normal positions or movements of the operator, inasmuch as hisleft-hand most natu rally'supports the firearm, with the ends of hisngers in the immediate vicinity of the handpiece or 'the thumb-lever.

On account of the simplicity in form and function of this carrier (shownin Figs. l to 4, inclusive) it may be made in a single integralstructure, and if for constructive reasons it may be found preferable tomake it in two or three pieces these should be riveted or otherwisesecurely fastened together, so that the carrier is in form, operation,and effectasingle integral piece. Although some form of spring ispreferably employed for elevating the carrier, the operation of thelatter is not dependent upon the spring. If the spring should be broken.the carrier may still be operated in both directions by the operatorshand Without interrupting the operation of the firearm and withoutseriously impairing its eiHciency.

The shape of the carrier and the manner of operating it may be modifiedin various ways to suit different types of firearms or to suitparticular environments or conditions without departing from the essenceof the invention.

The carrier being entirely inclosed Within the walls or recess of thefirearm is thereby protected against the entrance of dirt and is alsoprotected from injury due to blows from the outside ordue to thedropping oi' the firearm, the only entrance for dirt being through thetop of thereceiver, and then only when the boltis drawn back., therebyreducing' to a minimum the opportunities for the entrance of dirt orother Vforeign substances.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with a firearms-maga- Zine, ofa cartridge-carrier mounted for oscillation and entirely inclosed withinthetirearms structure, and having a handpiece eX- tending through aslotted opening in the side of the firearms structure at a substantialdistance from the pivot.

2. The combination with a firearms-magazine, of a cartridge-carriermounted for oscillation and entirely inclosed Within the firearmstructure and having a handpiece eX- tending through a slotted openingin the side of the iirearm structure at a substantial distance from thepivot, and means appui-tenant to the handpiece for closing the slottedopening at all positions ot' the handpiece.

3. The combination with a firearms-magazine, of a cartridge-carriermounted for os cillation and entirely inclosed within the firearmstructure, and a handpiece appurtenant to the carrier, extending througha slotted opening in the side of the firearms structure, at asubstantial distance from the pivot of the carrier, the handpiece beingprovided Witha lip extending in the direction of the eXtension of theslotted opening to cover that opening at all oi' the positions of thehandpiece.

CHARLES HENRY AUGUSTUS FREDERICK LOCKHART ROSS.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH A. BENNETT, WV. CAMPBELL.

